This is what 422 FEMINISTS look like!

The Feminist Majority Foundation's Sixth Annual National Young Feminist Leadership Conference, March 20-22 in Washington, DC, brought together over 400 hundred young feminist activists from 101 schools and over 30 states plus the District of Columbia and Canada to discuss and strategize current domestic and global feminist issues. Members of Congress, national leaders, and student organizers from across the country inspired young leaders to organize their communities and take action.

Students learned about the dangers of fake clinics, how to support their comprehensive clinics against anti-abortion harassment, the critical need to increase international family planning money, the importance of ratifying CEDAW and much more. Over a hundred students pledged to take action on these issues when they return to campus with our first ever Feminist Activism Pledge. Groups pledged to host a die-in to raise awareness about maternal mortality, students plan to run for office with their Student Government, and many committed to joining the largest pro-choice network in the country by starting a feminist group on their campus or affiliating with FMF's Choices Campus Leadership Program!

After two days of informational and organizing sessions young feminists braved the rain to visit Capitol Hill to meet with their elected officials. Attendees heard from an incredible line up of inspiring speakers, including Congresswoman Donna Edwards of Maryland, and learned about the importance of educating their elected officials and the opportunities to impact policy on their campus and in their state.

With opportunities comes work. Lots of work. Already students have returned to campus to take action on many of the issues discussed at the conference. Groups are staying connected with each other from across the country to share organizing strategies and ideas for creative activism on their campus. The FMF Campus Team is working with groups across the country to strengthen their activism through our resources and support.

With over 100 groups at this year's conference and a laundry list of opportunities we're excited to see what new ideas and new faces we'll discover next year! Mark your calendars for next March and be sure to include the NYFLC in your group's budget. Contact your campus organizer today or email the Campus Team at campusteam@feminist.org to connect your group to the largest pro-choice network or learn how to launch a feminist group and show your campus just what a feminist looks like!

This article was featured in our April 2010 monthly Choices eZine. Sign up for our alerts to stay up-to-date with the latest feminist news and to receive the monthly eZine!